The Missing
"The Missing" is the twelfth episode of the tenth season and the one hundred forty-fourth of the ''Murdoch Mysteries'' series. It first aired on January 23, 2017. Summary Twenty years after a child was kidnapped, Murdoch investigates the identity of a man now claiming to be the wealthy heir. The kidnapped Adam Gordon was in the care of his grandmother who provided the $500 ransom, but the money was never collected and the boy was never found. Thus, it has long been suspected that the boy had been killed, until now. Over the years, reports kept trickling in: one person even claimed they'd seen the boy in South Africa. The frequency of the reports rose each time Mrs. Gordon placed her annual advertisement with people looking to get their hands on their share of the reward money. Crabtree observes that "We're not always the most noble of species, are we, sir?" Murdoch agrees but adds, "A fact that keeps you and me employed." Meanwhile, Detective Watts and Constable Jackson continue their search for the missing women. No sooner has the likely grandson returned than the buried remains of a young boy are discovered, followed by the decomposed body of Irving Moses, a squatter who had stayed on the land near where the dead boy was found. A shooting accident on the day of "Adam Gordon's" welcome-home party leads to revelations that Murdoch uses to solve the kidnapping and Moses' murder and to reveal the idenity of the buried child. Character Revelations * Both Detective Watts and Constable Jackson reveal a past tragedy which strengthens their partnership and their resolve to find the missing women. * George confesses to Murdoch, "I have to admit, as an orphan, I was somewhat tempted to respond to them ''advertisements ''myself. I mean, I had a fine upbringing, but the thought of not only being reunited with a loving family, but being made lord of a manor, having servants waiting on you hand and foot..." Continuity * George Crabtree struggles with the biggest mystery of all: his love life. Higgins tells him to talk to Nina. * Detective Watts, teaming with Jackson, continues his investigation into the missing women case, started in [[A Murdog Mystery|''A Murdog Mystery]] with the single clue: "''a tall blonde woman in her middle years." * Crabtree is off to the woods for a good old fashion dig yet again, uncovering human bones and a child's skull. * As in Jagged Little Pill, Miss James is on a mission– to identity the poor lad and her persistence pays off and helps Murdoch with Gordon case. * George and Nina are still apart. Since he is indeed "unencumbered" as reported to be by Miss Cherry, he takes up her invitation to have a cup of tea (off-camera) by the end of the episode. Historical References * This episode takes place in Toronto 1904. * Necropolis Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Toronto, located on the west side of the Don Valley near Riverdale Farm. Opened in 1850 to replace "Strangers' Burying Ground" (or Potter's Field), the cemetery is the resting place for many prominent individuals. * Before Alec Jeffrey's eureka moment in 1984, when genetic variations in DNA could identify individuals, crime investigations were deductions and guesswork; hereditary mechanism were based mostly on logic and speculation as in Dr. Ogden's comparing physical features of the Gordon family. Trivia * MM Fans know Maureen Jennings created Detective William Murdoch and his world, and she concocted this episode. * Twist after twist, it is not until 20 minutes into the episode the first death is discovered, then followed by a second attempt. * Modern human genetics is traced to the beginning of the 20th Century to just two key individuals: Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner who in 1900 discovered the ABO blood group system (ep.702), the first example of a variable human characteristic that is inherited according to the simple rules of Mendel, and English physician Sir Archibald Garrod with the first example of a human inherited disease which similarly showed Mendelian inheritance in 1902. * This is the seventh episode in Season 10 in which Thomas Craig (Thomas Brackenreid) does not appear. Errors * After digging, Constable George Crabtree's shirt is pristine. * The skull of the child has adult teeth Cast Main Cast Yannick Bisson as Detective William Murdoch Hélène Joy as Dr. Julia Ogden Thomas Craig as Inspector Thomas Brackenreid Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree Recurring Cast Lachlan Murdoch as Constable Henry Higgins Mouna Traoré as Rebecca James Kristian Bruun as Constable Jackson Bea Santos as Louise Cherry Daniel Maslany as Detective Watts Guest Cast Deborah Grover as Adelia Gordon Jeff Geddis as Jonah Foster Gordon Hecht as Albert Slaight Rohan Mead as Adam Gordon Jane Sowerby as Edna Bergman Danny Waugh as Breydon O'Donnell Jonathan Robbins as Norman Bruce Anton Chevrier as Young Adam Gordon Christopher Calvelli as Young Jonah Foster Uncredited Cast Gallery 1012 Gazette.PNG|Annual Gordon Advertisement|link=Toronto Gazette 1012 The Missing Gordons.PNG|The Gordons 1012 Gordons Portrait.PNG|Murdoch questions Mrs. Gordon 1012 The Missing.png|With the Reporter Louise Cherry 1012 Watts and Jackson.PNG|Team Watts and Jackson 1012 The Missing Posters.PNG|Posting the missing person's notice 1012 The Missing pretzel 1.PNG|Taking a pretzel break 1012 The Missing Tipsy Ferret.PNG|The missing wonman's husband finds Watts and Jackson at The Tipsy Ferret 1012 The Missing 5.PNG|Missing Woman 1012 Train Station.PNG|Questioning Breydon O'Donnell at the Train Station 1012 Irving Moses.PNG|Irving Moses is found 1012 The Missing blackboard.PNG|Miss James helps Murdoch at the blackboard.|link=blackboard 1012 The Missing Suitcase.PNG|Finding the vital evidence 1012 Young Jonah Foster and Adam.PNG|Young Jonah and Adam Category:Season Ten Category:Season Error